Valve



June 7, 1960 I s. E. GILMORE VALVE Filed Feb. 6, 1957 w Ww,

VALVE Samuel Et Gilmore, Houston, Tex., :1s-signor to Fluid calisamcs Company, Bellaire, Tex., a corporation of Filed Feb. s, 1957, ser. No. 638,483 l' 401mm. (c1. 137-4469) AThis invention pertains to valves and more particularly to spring loaded safety valves useful for gas or liquid and having replaceable valve seats and replaceable valve closure elements.

rlhe principal object of the invention is to provide a spring loaded valve in which the seat and closure element can be replaced without materially altering the loading of the spring.

A further object of the invention is to provide a replaceable seat valve in which. the seat will seal with the valve closure in all cases.

Another object of the invention is lto provide a valve that can be easily installed even in areas of vrestricted clearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relief valve that can withstand high back pressure.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide a Valve that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain andv at the same time rugged and reliable in operation.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a safety relief valve embodying the invention; and t vFigure 2 is a section on line 2-`2- of Figure l.

The valve comprises a base having a pin 11 forming the valve inlet. The pin is exteriorly threaded at 12. An axial passage 13 extendsvupwardly through the inlet and continues on through the upper portion of the base l0. The upper portion of the base has anges 14, 15 extending radially outwardly on opposite sides of the valve. f v l The upper end of the base 10 is counterbored at 20 toreceive a stainless steel nozzle 2.1 whose lower end is'provided with a radial ange 22 which fits snugly in counterbore 20 and-extends slightly above the upper end of` thev base. An O-ring y23 is disposedin an annular groove 24 around the upper end of passage 13 to seal between thenozzle and base.

The nozzle is held in place by a compression ring and a bonnet -31, there beingmetal gaskets 32 33 between ring and bonnetand between seal ring and nozzle wherebythe bonnet is sealed iluid tight to the nozzle. The bonnet has two radial flanges 34, overlying ilanges '14, 15 of thebase, and the bonnet is held to the base by screws 36, 37 passing through holes 38, 39 lin flanges 14, 15 and screwed into threaded holes' 38,'3'9 in anges 34, 35. There is clearance between the upper end of base 10 and the lower ends of both the compression ring 30 and bonnet 31st) that tightening of the screw 36, 37, places ring 30 and gaskets'z, 36 in compression to effect a seal.

The bonnet 31 is a generally cylindrical tube having an interior space 40 which is in communication with passage 13 in the base through axial passage 41 of the nozzle when the valve is lopen.' At one side of bonnet Sal` is a short pipe42` (Figure l) in communication with space 40 and forming the rvalve outlet. Pipe 4Z is interiorly threaded for connection to an exhaust li-ne.

"ice t,

The upper end-of nozzle 21 has a short 45V degree bevel 49 around the inner edge of its lip. This bevel is only about .015 inch long measured on a cone element.

VThis serves' the dual function of giving the nozzle an approidmate Venturi shape for more etiicient and stable discharge and providing a tapered seat for the valve closure element or disc 50. The nozzle is .provided with two stress relieving grooves 51, 52. These grooves vrelieve any unbalanced stress in the nozzle that may be occasioned by clamping it to the base so that the seat 49 will be concentricl with the valve axis, being displaced neither laterally or angularly therefrom. Distortion o-f the nozzle and misalignment of the seat is initially reduced because the nozzle is clamped to the base so that there is no torsional stress in the nozzle.

Rising above the valve seat at the outer periphery of the nozzle is a 'collar 60 which is slightly tapered `on its inner wall. Between collar 60 and seat 49 there is a trash groove 61 into which debris can collect which may fall back into the nozzle as the valve closes, without preventing closure of the valve.

The valve closure element is -made of stainless steel and comprises a disc shaped portion 65 leaving a 45 degree tapered central portion 66 on its underside adapted to engage and seal with seat 49. From lthe lower central part'of Ithe disc extends downwardly a lower guide stem 67 having a pluralityA of tintes 68 rtherearound engaging closely the inner surface of the wall of passage 41 in the nozzle. Y

Thelower surface of disc 65 outside tapered central portion'66 is dat and when the valve is closed there is a slight clearance between the llat portion of the valve disc and the at portion of the nozzle between seat 45 and trash groove 61. Ihe outer periphery of disc 65 is tapered to provide a slight clearance inside collar 60 when the valve is closed. When the valve opens the space between the valve disc and the valve seat is conned by the collar forming a reaction chamber. When the valve is used to control a gaseous fluid, the reaction chamber causes a force torbe exerted tending to hold the valve open until after the static pressure has dropped below that at which the valve opened. The reaction chamber may be omitted wherethe valve isV used for liquid control.

- A guide sleeve 70 is `disposed closely around the nozzle, being crimped at its lower end into groove 51. Sleeve 70 rises above collar 60. AThe valve closure element has cylindrical guide stem 71 rising thereabove having a plurality of utes 72 engaging closely with the inside of sleeve 70.. With both upper and lower guide stems the valve disc is held closely to a predetermined path of travel insuring proper seating on closure of the valve thus making possible the use of the narrow valve seat 49.

Guide sleeve 70 is provided with ports 73` for the passage of :duid discharged from the nozzle when the valve is open so 'that all of the escaping fluid does not have to pass between iiutes 72 on the upper guide stem. Flutes 72 do not extend down the whole length of stem 71, stopping just above the ports 73 when the valve is closed so that ports 73 are never blocked.

The lower enlarged bulb end of a thrust rod or spring post rests in a socket 81 in the top of the upper guide stem 71. An upwardly facing shoulder 82 is Iformed at the juncture of the enlarged lower end of the post with the upper por-tion thereof. A spring plate or thrust washer. 83 rests on shoulder 82. Centered on spring plate 8.34 by a tubular extension 84 on the upper face of the spring plate is a helical compression spring 85. The spring is similarly centered on an upper spring plate S6 around post 80 disposed just below the top of bonnet 31. A tubular screw 87 threaded into the top of the bonnet bears at its lower end on top of spring plate 86. Spring post Sti,

' extends slidably' up inside screw 87 and serves to center the whole assembly within -the bonnet. Aj'lock'nut'lBS on'the outside of screw 87 serves to hold the screw( in the selected position corresponding to the'desired adjustment of the spring compression. A hood 89' screwed on to the top of the bonnet 31 covers the upper end `gf thegvalve bonnets whereby any Huid YYentering spiace` 4p from, nozzle Blcan leave only throughpipe u4-2 `and-so1tha t whenthe valve is closed it can effectivelyhold-backtpressure from pipe 42- When the'valve is `installed in aline orA vesselrto be controlled or protected as -to pressure b'uild-upfthe'pin 11 is screwedinto a threaded hole in'such'line or vessel. Since the bonnet is held to the base-by a fiangedunion rather than by a threaded4 connectionfanyfpartof "the valve bonnet or base can -kbe seized with-1an wrenchin screwing the valve into the line -or vessel. This greatly facilitates installation in cramped-espaces. Also, Vthere is no possibility of the setting-ofthe spring compression being changed during installation-by `any relative movement of the parts.

Whenever itabecomes necessary-to replace the valve seat and disc, the screws 36and- 37 can beloosenedand the bonnetv removed and the nozzle 'andclosure element replaced. ABy-holding -to'vclose tolerances -the distance between the bottom of socket 81 -infthe'upper guide-stem and the top of-nozz1e-ange I22,'whenthe valve -is-re assembled-the-setting ofthe springv compression and hence ofthe pressure-fat which the valve will=open. (and close) can -be controlled'inthe presentl construction `so-as -to be within 10% Yof/the 'originali setting without readjstment of screw 87. i

While a preferred @embodiment fof 'thel Ai1ive1ition--has been shown and described many modifications thereof canvbe made` by-`one skiIledin-the artfwithout departing from the spirit ofthe invention and it-is` desired to cover by- Letters -Patntiall forms of the invention falling within the scope of the followinglclaims.

I claim: Y

1. -In a valve including abase having a p-assage therethrough, one'V end of said passage providing an inlet-'to the valve, means on' said base atsaid-inlet-forconnecting the valveto another meinber-having an opening therein, a recess'insaid ba'searound theotherfend of saidpassage providing atl-socket,l a *valve seat' -unitlhaving ani annular ange at one? end rceivedlin` said soek'etfa'hollowf bonnet having i' an openpas'sa'ge therethrough, one! endfbf said open passage providinganoutletf; fori-the'valve," said'valve seat* unit including' a` tubularibdyi extending from said valve `seat'unit-flange'iiritcsaidbonnet tbrough'lthe other end of said open Vpassage,-rnearis Sealingbetweenfsaid other" end ofsaidopenv passage andi 'saidfvalve-seatlunit flange, a Vflange Von-"said base: at the' socket'end of 'the passageV therethrough, a-ange-on lsaid bonnet at said other end of saidY penlpassag'e therethrough, bolt means connecting 'said flanges and clamping said valve seatiunit flange in said'socketgs'aid tubular body of Said'valveV seat unit having an internal"bevel-formingv a valve 'seat`adjacent Vthe yend of'fsaid body remote from saidl valve Vseat unit flange, a valveclbsure element having a portion bevelled correlative -tosaid' seat,v spring 4means urging said closure element" toward saidV valveVj seat, e bulb and socket means providing thee'eng'ageme'ntfof'saidfspring means and closure element"'to-"pe1n'i1't' relativerocking thereof, said spring meansbeingadjustable "tovary the force thereof urgingsaid closure: element' towardsaid seat,"and` guide' m'eans cooperating'i'betweenisaid closure element and the inside offsaid'tubu'lanbody to constrain said' closure 'element l to" 'reciprocation'along 'the `axis "of said beam-the imprpvement'characterized by' the' tact'tliat saidnieans' sealing between said'valve"s`eat"'unitiange and'said' b'onnetincludes"mtalcornpresson'ri g 'means overlapping theuterperiphry of said `s`eat"`t'i it` flange and received in asocketforrnedrat `s'aid`oth'er end'bf said open passage' through' Ysaid bonnet, "said seatfimit 'is' "eve`ry wherespaced from' s'aidbb'nnetI fsaic Hai'gebf 'sd"'s'cat Vunit'being spaced from said bonnet by said compression ring means and there being an annular space between said tubular body of the seat^ unit and said bonnet, stress relieving groove means around said tubular body adjacent said seat unit flange, a sleeve telescopically disposed around said tubular body ,anderimped at its end nearest said seat unit flange into saidstre'ss relieving groove means, said sleeve being spacedeverywhere from said bonnet and said base, said sleeve having a portionextending beyond ,sidltubular body forming "a :second 'guide vmeans cooperating 'slidingly 'with 'saidA valve closure element to further constrain said valve closure element to reciprocating motion alongfthe I*axis of1said tubular body of the valve seat unit.

2. The combination of 'claim `1 'in which said valve' closure element has an annular flat surface perpendicular to said valve seat unit body axis disposed around said'bevelled portion ofsaid yvalve closure element, andanfannular flaring surface beyond said flat surface, said flaring surface flaring going in the axial Vdirectionaway from-said bevelled surface, said tubular body has an Iannularvilat surface extending around and adjacent saidl bevel-that formssaid valveseat and parallel to said fiat surface of the closure element, and said tubular body7 has-acollar at the valve vseat endthereofextending bef yond-said seat'providing on its inner. surface anannularf surface close to but spaced fromsaid flaringsurface of -saidvclosure element'to conne theiowof fluid from the spacer betweenr said flat; surfaces of. said closure element and said tubular body, said tubular body has stress relief 'groove means around its-outerperipheryfat the juncture of said collar and valve seat, .theexteriorof said collar being inengagement with thel interior of that portion of V said sleeve that extends beyond said'tubular body.

3.-- Replaceable valve and seat element combination for .a safety valve, said combination comprising a seat unit yincluding a tubular body portionfand an annular radial externaliflange at onev end of saidbody and an internal bevel forming a seat at the other end of said body, a stressY relief groove around said unit at the juncture of said flange Iand body, a sleeve telescopically disposed over saidlbody and having one end crimped in "said groove, theother'end of said sleeve extending axially beyond isaidl valveA seat, av Valve' closure element includ- 'ing albody-,having' an external annular bevelled portion adaptedl tol engage said seat,and guide means mounting sad--valveclosure body for reciprocationooaxial with 'saidpassage between a'positionr in ywhich-said external l bevelled portion engages said seat and a position in which saidexternal bevelled portion is separated from said seat, 'said 'guide Lmeans comprising a* fluted stem extending from 'said valve closure body into' engagement with Vthe interior surface of said tubular body portion of the seat unitand an externally fluted cup shaped portion' extending' into-engagement with the interior surface of said sleevewhere it extends beyond said tubular body portion of the valve seat unit. v l

#4.7`The combination ofclaim` 3 in which the `tubular body `of'the valve seat unit has a collar at the valve seat endlthereof' extending beyond 'said seat inside said portion' of said sleeve that extends' beyond said tubular body, thelinside -of` -said collarlyingclose to thel outsidev .of said closure-element, vsaid tubul'arbody having a 'stress reliefgroove around the exterior theref'iat the juncture of said: -collar 'and' tubular bodyadjacentsaid valveA seat.

Referencesl'Cited in. the le ftthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 111332182 Je'ranld July 16;'21912 1,143,027 Blanchard er a1 -;'June 15; '1915 1,286,397 Olsen "Decf 3, '1918 l 1,668,453 Grae'sser Mayll, 1928 e 2,225,732 jMBnde ;"Dec:31, 19'40 "2;`695;U32 `Ki'niecik Nov: l2351954 

